2016: That Was the Year the Was

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 16 December 2016 > In the News

It was quite a year of surprises. And definitely not a good one for opinion-poll companies and forecasters. From Brexit to Trump, refugee athletes to the rock ‘n’ roll Nobel Literature laureate, we look back at 2016. Election forecasters are probably having a long rest, or thinking about a new career about now. Last January, … Continue reading “2016: That Was the Year the Was”

Memory Interview

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 15 December 2016 > Ready to Use

In this audio interview, actress Kathryn Hunter discusses her role in Peter Brooks’ play The Valley of Astonishment: Sammy Costas, a mnemonist who can remember large quantities of numbers and text. The play is based on the real experiences of patients described by Dr Oliver Sacks. The extract tackles both the theme of memory and … Continue reading “Memory Interview”

Australia Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 15 December 2016 > Celebrate

Australians celebrate their national day on 26 January, the anniversary of the first British colonisation of the continent in 1788. On 26 January, 1788, the British flag was first flown over the penal colony that was to be established at Sydney Cove. It marked the end of a nine-month journey for the 1,500 people, half … Continue reading “Australia Day”

Mobilising Life Skills to Aid Language Learning

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 15 December 2016 > Pedagogy

Le cours de langue, de par sa nature, permet d’acquérir par l’expérience de nombreuses compétences cruciales que les anglophones appellent life skills et qui se nomment aptitudes à la vie quotidienne en français. Comment tirer profit des activités de classe pour les développer ou les mettre en valeur ? D’une façon générale, il s’agit de compétences … Continue reading “Mobilising Life Skills to Aid Language Learning”

Innovative Indian Dance Shows Tour France

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 12 December 2016 > What's On

Akram Khan, a British-born Bangladeshi dancer and choreographer, brings two shows to France which fuse classical Indian dance and stories with contemporary dance. Catch Until the Lions or Chotto Desh in and around Paris, Miramas, Angers, Sète, Brest or Reims between December and May. The 42-year-old Khan began his professional career at just 13, in … Continue reading “Innovative Indian Dance Shows Tour France”

Christmas Shopping

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 12 December 2016 > Ready to Use

This A1+-level interactive picture, activities and audio will introduce beginners to Christmas vocabulary and Anglophone traditions for the festive season. Vocabulary and structures Christmas vocabulary numbers /ɪ/ and /aɪ/ sounds WH-questions: How many… Don’t miss the Webpicks below for more Christmas-themed resources at different levels.

Space Pioneer Dies

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 09 December 2016 > In the News

John Glenn was both the American to orbit the Earth, and the oldest human to go into space, when he participated in a Space Shuttle mission at the age of 77. He died on 8 December at the venerable age of 95. In 1962, the U.S.A. was losing the Space Race. The previous April, the … Continue reading “Space Pioneer Dies”

Christmas on the Web

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 09 December 2016 > Webpicks

‘Tis the season to be jolly! Before the winter holidays, why not do a little cultural comparisons, looking at how Christmas is celebrated in English speaking countries in the northern and southern hemisphere? These digital resources will help you. There is are several videos and audio recordings with interactive comprehension activities about Christmas in the … Continue reading “Christmas on the Web”